No Snowflake Ever Falls in the Wrong Place
by sandstorm7
Summary: Genji hates what he is. A certain monk will do everything he can to help him feel otherwise, no matter how long it takes.
1. I Need Help

Genji finally reached the top of the mountain.

He dropped to one knee in the snow with an exhale, condensation forming and reforming inside his mouth-guard. He looked up at the surrounding peaks as he caught his breath, all seeming to be miles apart. The sky was still clear and the sun was shining. Lucky for him. Hopefully it stayed that way.

After a minute more, snow crunched underneath his foot as he started down the way again.

His...foot, he thought to himself as he walked. He scoffed. Hardly his own. No more his foot than a hiker's glove their real hand.

That... _That_ was it alright. That was his problem: this self-aversion, this...increasingly dissociative fear of himself. That was the reason he was climbing in this forgotten mountain range in the first place.

Since he was mostly robot now, he was wondering if the robots had any advice on being a robot.

He'd probably be able to think of a better way to put that if he wasn't so distraught... Damn it all. How cool the idea of cyberization had sounded to him in the past. Now look at him. What was left of him...

 _The monastery_ , he forcibly reminded himself as he rounded a precarious ledge, miles of empty air waiting down below. The omnics had taken haven in an ancient monastery. He'd learned such from some of the locals here in Nepal. Word was they were..."enlightened," monks even. Perhaps they were enlightened enough to make Genji feel human again...even though they were omnic...and omnics were robots...

Genji stopped in his tracks, his scarf gently blowing in the hollow wind of the mountains.

...No. No this... This wasn't going to work. They wouldn't have anything helpful for him. How _could_ they? What an idiot he was. He was a human, and they were omnic. What could they possibly know? Circuitry wasn't the same as a brain. They...

 _"You can't give up just because things are bad now. You can't ignore the future like that."_

He clenched his fist.

 _...You're right_ , Genji reminded himself as he started walking again. _I can't. I won't. For you._ _And for me too._

After another hour or so, Genji scaled one last mountain, and suddenly came upon a stone path. Finally, a sign of civilization.

He looked up ahead, and indeed, he had reached the monastery. It was...nice, quaint. There were three separate village areas nestled into the mountainside, connected by staircases carved into the rock. It seemed well kept.

He pulled down his scarf a bit and unclicked his mouth-guard from his face, scarred and burned as it was, but still found himself smiling in the fresh cold air despite it. He walked towards a plaza that appeared to be leading into some sort of sanctum. Large statues lined the open walkway. Statues of memorable monks that once were, he assumed.

"Who goes there?" a voice suddenly said.

Genji stopped, spotting a group of five omnics that'd been sitting and conversing on the sanctum steps, wearing robes and such. One of them was standing to greet him.

"I am...looking for help," Genji said, unsure of how to sell himself even after all this time to think. "I-I need help."

"What is your name, wanderer?" the monk asked, bearing that airy-helpfulness Genji expected and was hoping for.

It unfortunately made him feel confident in sharing his name. "Genji."

"Genji?" the monk said with an inquiring tone, tapping his finger against his chin. "Hm. Where I have heard that name before..."

Genji suddenly felt apprehensive. His eyes shot between the other monks.

One of the sitting ones leaned a bit, looking at Genji with its blank eyes. "You wouldn't happen to be of the _Shimada_ clan, would you?"

"Genji Shimada?!" the first one exclaimed.

 _No..._

"I... I-I was!" Genji pleaded. "But not anymore!"

"He is with Overwatch!" a third monk censured. "They must be trying to indoctrinate us! Infiltrate us! Dismantle us from within and use us as weapons!"

"N-No!" Genji denounced, falling to his knees. There was nothing more he could do. "No, I...I just want _help_..."

"You will have none, deceiver!" the first monk yelled. He waved his arm. "Begone, _now_!"

" _Brothers_ ," a new voice said from beyond the doorway.

Genji and the monks looked up, quieting. Another omnic was coming upon them.

He had no robe or shirt, just pants, even in the harsh cold, though it didn't really matter for his kind. He was somehow floating as well, his feet well off the floor, and he didn't appear to be standing any time soon.

"Why did we come here to these mountains?" he asked his fellow monks. "Why are we mediating on our existence every moment of our days? To deject humanity and separate ourselves from it? No, only to embrace it all the tighter in time."

He looked at Genji, with an infinitely more caring disposition towards him than the others had. "Perhaps this man is a sign from the Iris, to reach out sooner than we thought."

"B-But," one of the monks stammered, "Tekhartha, he is—"

"Someone begging for our help." The new monk gestured. "He is on his _knees_."

The other monks looked between each other, sidling a bit. The new monk nodded in contentment, and gently moved towards Genji. "What is your name, son?"

"G-Genji," Genji said, confessed really, pulling the words out from his own throat. "Genji Shimada..."

"Shimada," this new omnic repeated, monotone. "The crime syndicate?"

"See?!" the first monk said. "We cannot allow him to step foot in our sanctums! Who knows what trick he is trying to blind us with?!"

The new monk looked towards the other. "Look at his eyes, Kharo. Are these the eyes of a cruel man? No, these are eyes like that of a child's: desperate, lost."

"I-I am," Genji confided, looking down. "I'm... I'm so lost..."

"Then consider yourself found," the new monk said with a touch of Genji's shoulder, him looking up in surprise. "You may call me Zenyatta, and I will not leave your side until you are healed."

And as Genji knelt there, feeling oddly comforted, he believed him.

* * *

 **Notes:** Oh man oh man I hope this one is good. Commitment here I come.

Genji meeting Zenyatta one of those bare spots in the lore that idk if Bliz is ever gonna cover it or if they'll just leave it open to interpretation. If they DO happen to cover in the future it well then I'm gonna look rather silly with this now won't I lol.

I'm gonna try to get the next chapter out asap cuz I really wanted to share this but I also really want give a more complete idea of what future chapters are gonna be like. Idk. Either way next chapter's first on my writing schedule.


	2. Let Us Begin

_A fish out of water, I have always been._

 _Even here, I feel an outcast, even among others like me._

 _"Foolish little sparrow." Yes, a baby sparrow with broken wings that can't even find it's own nest._

"Let's start simple," Zenyatta chirped.

Genji flinched in surprise. He sighed, resenting how often he found himself lost in thought. "Yes."

The two of them were currently sitting next to each other on top of a stone rise, overlooking a small courtyard in the heart of the monastery grounds. After convincing his fellow monks to accept and admit Genji into their sanctums, the omnic had said that they were going to have a "conference of afflictions" to kick things off, which to Genji sounded a whole lot like "therapy session." Whatever fixed him. Then after that, they were going to try a full on meditation session.

Meditating. One of the many things his father taught him and Hanzo to do, but never actually did.

Unlike his family, this "Zenyatta" had something so... What was it? Some airy-politeness about him? All the other monks had risen their voices and shouted, but Genji honestly couldn't picture what this omnic would sound like if he were to anger. Come to think of it he wasn't even sure if he _could_ get angry.

"Is it painful?" Zenyatta asked first.

Genji snorted as he sat. Neither of them had spoken for a few minutes. "Boring, at best."

Zenyatta chuckled. "I meant your augmentations."

"Oh." Genji mulled over the question for a moment. "I am used to it."

"That did not answer the question," the monk said lightly.

Genji sighed again, admitting, " _No_ , it does not hurt anymore, not since they finished the procedures. But it is...odd," he said, looking at his open right palm, "to look down and see a hand where I feel none..."

"I see," Zenyatta said, half in thought.

"How would _you_ know?" Genji demanded as he looked at the monk, angered, almost insulted. "How _can_ you? You've never had half your body replaced! You are still whole, as you were since your birth! I do not know if omnics can feel like people do, but I..." His eyes widened as he realized what he was doing. Damn him. He forced himself to be quiet, eyes shut back towards the ground. _Anger_... That was another issue of his apparently. "But I suppose neither of us are human anyways..."

Genji sat looking at the snowy ground for a long moment, hearing nothing from the omnic but the occasional mechanical whir as he "breathed."

"...I cannot empathize with you," Zenyatta eventually said, seeming unoffended, "I will admit that much. But that does not mean I am unable to _sympathize_ with you."

Genji hesitated a bit. "I am not certain I know the difference."

"Empathy is connection through similar emotions," Zenyatta explained. "Sympathy is connection through similar thoughts and ideas."

"So...you understand what I am going through, but you do not ' _feel_ ' it."

"Quite," Zenyatta said happily. "Just as a mechanic can still fix a machine without physically becoming one with it."

Genji looked down for a moment. He almost felt comforted by that. "You...really can fix me?" he asked, looking back up at the monk.

Zenyatta raised his head to speak, but found himself pausing. He truly wanted to answer " _yes_ " with all his metaphorical heart. He almost only answered "maybe." He closed his right hand into a fist for a moment.

"...I will do everything I can for you," he said honestly. "I will not leave your side until you feel well enough to leave me."

Genji still felt crushed. "So you _don't_ know if you can help me..."

Zenyatta winced, feeling like he was failing already. "My brothers...they look up to me, and often ask for my advice, but I admit I do not know everything. Some answers elude even me." He shrugged. "You are...unique, after all. This is a first time for the both of us."

Genji found himself gripped the ground with his right hand, the stone ground cracking a bit under his mechanical fingers. "I don't _want_ to be 'unique' anymore," he muttered with grief. "I've been hailed like some...'invention' for as long as I've _been_ this way. I just want to feel like _me_ again. I've been like this for so long, and I'm still not used to it. You'd think I would be, but...I do not know how much more I can _take_."

Zenyatta stared at him in concern. He looked away, trying his hardest to think of comfort. Indeed, he was _not_ prepared on how to handle rehabilitating a cyborg. Omnics and humans had never been one in the same until this man. After a moment of thought, he finally found something:

"Would you believe that I resented being omnic for some time?"

"W-What?" Genji asked, slowly looking back up at Zenyatta. "How?"

"All the discord and pain omnics brought," the monk relayed, eyes on the ground, "by merely _existing_...I hated it, hated _me_. I always thought if I had been human, or never existed at all...perhaps that pain would've never existed..."

Genji creased his brow. He felt compelled to comfort the monk. "Y-You can't think that."

"But I did. I bereaved my brother Mondatta so." Zenyatta looked away entirely. "Even now I wonder..."

Genji felt like Zenyatta had just given up all hope. He looked around, trying to think of reason. "But...your friends here...the impact you've had on them...surely that is something you cannot lose? Surely they mean something to you as well? There are people here you've touched that you cannot fail. They need you."

"And _that_ is what we will use to guide you as well," Zenyatta said decidedly as he looked back at Genji, his hopeless tone vanished and his calm intent returned.

Genji's eyes widened in realization.

He... He was _right_. There were people that didn't care what he " _was_." Even if he hated what he was now, they did and still _would_ care for him despite it. Support like that was the reason he warmed up to Overwatch so easily in the first place. Most of them were still alive out there too. Lena, Winston, Jesse, Reinhardt, Torbjorn...

Angela...

It was so...simple. How had he not realized this sooner on his own? He felt like he had just dove into an ocean from the highest cliff: a blast of sensation, followed by an gentle floating in this new mental awareness. Is this what wisdom felt like?

"Is this what wisdom feels like?" he asked.

If Zenyatta was capable of smiling, he would have been as he looked at Genji. "If you feel free yet comforted, yes, it does."

Genji shifted, going from sitting next to Zenyatta to kneeling towards him, like a pupil would their master. "Apologies," he said. "I know you said we're supposed to meditate, but..." He was smiling underneath his mouth-guard as he closed his fists a bit, almost giddy. "L-Let us keep going first. I want to know more."

Zenyatta _really_ wished omnics were able to smile.

* * *

 **Notes:** There we go, that's better. Genji comfortable and ready to learn X) I think writing this might end up making Genji and/or Zen my favorite OW characters lol. I do have a soft spot for all of them but y'know I can't not feel emotions about these kinds of things it's what I do.

Also unrelated and unimportant but I think this fic might've been my most quickly-noticed out of all that I've done. Don't know what that means but I hope it lives up to expectations :)


	3. We All Need To Trust In Someone

_"Doctor! Doctor, this way!"_

 _She followed after the nurse, briefly holding her forehead as their feet sounded against the hard hallway floors. This was unexpected. "Fill me in. What happened?"_

 _A squad had radioed in on their way back to base. They had been in Japan, and apparently rescued someone who was now on the verge of death. She wondered why they needed her specifically for this. Couldn't any doctor take this case? Were they just short on staff? How bad must their injuries be to bring_ her _in? She questioned, but didn't ever think of refusing._

 _She rushed into the bay with the nurse, where other doctors were crowded around someone already on the operating table. They were in the process of hooking him up to IV's and giving him anesthesia, and by grace did he need it. She assessed the situation as she always did:_

 _Male. No older than thirty. Lost both of his legs up to the thigh, his right arm up to the bicep, and had a massive wound across his back that was almost lacerating his spine. His ethnicity was indeterminable due to the startling amount of burns he had across his body, mostly on his face and chest and stomach. Surprisingly he still had his hair. It was black._

 _After instructing the other doctors on what she wanted to be done so that she could properly work, she laid a hand on the man's left arm, trying to get his attention. "Hello, can you hear me?" she asked gently._

 _"Y...Yes," he breathed, trying to open his eyes. Good sign._

 _"You don't need to be afraid," she promised. "I am here to keep you safe and stable. I am going to help you heal. I've helped countless others before. We are going to fix what happened to you."_

 _"O-Okay... Please..."_

 _"I will." She hesitated. She would normally introduce herself as Doctor Ziegler, but this...this was a different case. This was entirely new, for him_ and _her._

 _He needed the personal reassurance. "If you need anything, you can call me Angela."_

 _"Angela..." he repeated to himself, eyes fluttering shut. "That's a...nice name..."_

 _She smiled. "Thank you. We're going to put you under soon so that we can begin operating. Please, just rest. You will be better by the time you wake up."_

 _"Okay..."_

 _Angela didn't keep track of how many hours it took for her and the other doctors to finish all their procedures, but by the end of it, the man was heavily bandaged and the nurse from before had to help her sit to the side so that she didn't collapse from exhaustion. She looked at the man as he laid in unconscious silence, save for the steady beeping of his heart monitor and the other doctors still bustled as they cleaned up._

 _"I'm glad I got to watch you work, doctor," the nurse said with her hand on Angela's shoulder. "Who knows how much longer this could've taken if you weren't here to help."_

 _"Thank you. I wouldn't have done anything less," Angela said, taking her gloves off, her eyes never leaving the man. She sighed heavily with a rub of her forehead, thinking. "Do we even know who he is?"_

 _"Dispatch was saying a 'Genji Shimada.' "_

 _Angela took pause at that name, furrowing her brow a bit. "Shimada? The crime family?"_

 _"Is there something wrong, Doctor Ziegler?" the nurse asked, confused._

 _"We've been trying to dismantle their operations for a while now," Angela explained, half in thought, staring at this Genji even more now. "We've been watching them closely, but we've never intervened on their operations quite like_ this _before."_

 _"Are you saying we over-stepped our boundaries?"_

 _"I'm curious as to why we chose to do so_ now _," Angela said, standing up to walk out._

 _She found herself stopping at the doorway however, feeling the urge to look back at Genji one last time. He still laid unconscious and bandaged._

 _You're healing, Angela thought to herself. Now I just need to make certain you can get_ out _of here._

#

"You trusted her," Zenyatta assumed.

Genji nodded, kneeling across from his floating teacher, an incense candle burning between them in the small wooden room. "She was the first I became attached to, yes. She was the first I actually _met_. All the other cyberneticists, the ones that worked on me after she healed me...I was just their experiment." He looked down at himself, sighing. "And experiment they did..."

"What of the other members of Overwatch?" Zenyatta inquired with a turned head, genuinely curious about the organization. "Morrison and Amari?"

"The others were very agreeable as well. They accepted me easily." Genji smiled beneath his mouth-guard. "They were...a rambunctious bunch, to say the least. But, they were also stalwart and resolved on helping people, Angela included. I adapted easily. They were a...a lot like family."

Zenyatta emitted a small "hm" of contentment. "That is good. A gentle hand from others is the greatest thing one can receive. I am glad to hear Overwatch was a positive influence, what with all the stigma they've augured."

Genji was silent.

Zenyatta took pause. "Is something wrong?"

Genji wasn't sure how to answer. "...I am partly to blame for the hate that Overwatch has sparked."

"How?"

"Overwatch's scientists did not save me just for the sake of saving me. They knew of my skills, and they knew of the Shimada clan. They had an ultimatum: 'If we help you, you will dismantle the Shimadas for us.' "

" _No_..."

"Yes," Genji admitted, eyes falling. "It was one of the reasons Angela was so opposed to them doing what they did to me."

 _"No, this... This is too much! This is going too far! I will_ not _condone it!"_

Zenyatta looked down, sadly mulling this new information over. "Being forced to hunt down your own family empire, all while being forced to just brush off the pain of losing your body... That would very well be the source of your anger."

 _"Unfortunately, Doctor Ziegler, it is not your place to condone anything. You are only here to ensure that he is alive and stable."_

Genji only felt that smolder grow, inhaling and exhaling his rage. "You are right."

They both sat in silent thought for a moment, Genji focusing on the flickering flame of the candle. Zenyatta soon spoke up. "Do you know how I coped with my rage?"

"Tell me."

"What we are doing now."

"Talking?"

"About how we feel, yes," Zenyatta said. "Mondatta...he is my rock when I am in turmoil. He has always been more...stable than I was, steadfast when confronted. I do not know if I would be here without him. But even still, our ways tend to...conflict, as brothers are wont to do."

Genji winced a bit.

"He believes that humanity needs to be instructed on omnics," Zenyatta went on, "fully taught on our nature as if they were students, and we the teachers. But...I do not think that is the way. No one likes hearing that which they don't adhere to after all, like how children don't much take to maths."

Genji smirked beneath his mouth-guard. "So...you believe that humans and omnics just need to...talk."

"That is how you and I are getting to know each other," Zenyatta said plainly, happily. "That is how I know of your problems in the first place." He glanced down. "And...that is how I will help you heal."

Genji nodded gratefully as he stood and bowed. That was enough for this session. Not too much at once after all. "Thank you. Might I ask where Mondatta is now?"

"He is currently traveling with other members from the monastery, teaching those around the world of us. Last he was here, he said he had touched many in England despite its history with omnics. He was thrilled to return. There, perhaps, he will cultivate a new wave of acceptance."

"Hopefully," Genji agreed, slinging his pack over his shoulder. "We shall continue this tonight?"

"Only if you are willing to learn more," Zenyatta said.

"Very," Genji returned with eagerness. It made his master chuckle.

He walked out of the meditation room and into the courtyard, breathing in the crisp mountain air with a smile. He passed a few monks along the way, politely nodding to them, and them actually returning the gesture. The monks had been warming up to him a bit, dare he say accept him, not at all lashing out like the first few had when he first arrived.

 _Acceptance... Perhaps not of the past... Perhaps not just yet..._

 _But the present_ , Genji thought to himself as he started jogging up the monastery steps, his mechanical feet pounding against the stone. The present sounded doable.

* * *

 **Notes:** Ugh. Just ugh. I'm so not one for being punctual. What's it been, five months? Oh my gosh it's actually been five whole months I'm so sorry.

Some real talk here: I haven't forgotten about this! Believe me it's been eating away at me. Life has NOT been easy for me lately (mother's recovering from a stroke, not to mention dealing with my own plethora of health issues), and, gonna be completely honest here, I've actually been writing my own story in what little downtime I've had. Like, a novel I'm actually coming up with myself from the ground up, not a fanfic. Big mistake I know lol. I have other Overwatch fics I wanna try to get out too like I ugh. Gonna try to alternate them a bit in conjunction with this. I really need to FINISH my ideas in one go.

Secondly: I do really want to finish this fic AND I'M GONNA LOL, however, I may not be able to make it as continuously novel-esque as I hoped it could be. I'm probably gonna have to end up converting it more into one-shots. I came up with scenes unconnected from each other, and I'd rather not just weakly string them together, rather just try to make it more stylized or whatever, quality over quantity. It MAY possibly entail rewriting the previous chapters a little bit for flow reasons, probably not, but idk I'll do what I can. Just wanted to clarify this stuff. We'll see.


	4. Oh Brother

_In the Past..._

"Steady," Angela advised, holding underneath Genji's arms. "Steady now..."

Genji grunted, struggling to keep his balance as he stood. The cyberneticists had just given him a pair of new prosthetic legs to test out. A simple design, not too complex, they'd at least let Genji walk again, or so he'd thought.

"Not too fast," Angela still said gently. "Just take it easy."

Genji began to stumble, finding it hard to regain his footing with legs that were not his own. He fell, but spun just enough that he landed on his hip instead of his face. He struck the floor angrily with his fist and a grunt.

"It's alright," Angela consoled, putting a hand on his shoulder as she squatted down next to him. "You'll learn. You just need to take it slow."

Genji sighed. "I'm _tired_ of taking it slow. I've been taking it slow for weeks!"

"I know," Angela consoled. "But if a baby can't walk first thing, neither can you."

"Is that what I am now?" Genji demanded indignantly. "A baby?"

Angela paused, then smirked. "You're acting a bit like one, if that's what you mean."

Genji inhaled, but he found any potential retort evaporating. Instead, he smiled. He had gotten to know Angela a bit more as she helped him through his therapies, and despite all the kind and gentle things she had to say, once and a while she'd spit out something surprisingly witty. Genji...appreciated that, in a way. Being coddled wouldn't get him back to normal again, he told himself. Sometimes he could use the reality check. But there was a difference between challenging reinforcement and punishment. For the latter, Angela had no stomach.

"You can't give up just because things are bad now," she said to him. "You can't ignore the future like that. You were happy once, and you can be again. That's why I'm helping you."

Coming from her, that was one of the most poignant things Genji had ever heard.

"You're right," he said with a nod. "Thank you."

She smiled warmly, then looked down at his legs. "Come to think of it, you're actually more like a newborn foal than a human baby. Foals can walk, even if they wobble a bit."

"And just like a foal grows into a stallion, I will learn to run," Genji said decidedly.

Angela smiled again. "That's the spirit."

Genji stumbled, grunting, and slid his heel back under himself to steady himself. He pushed himself to his feet with a sigh, and he did not fall.

"Good, good!" Angela cheered, forcing herself to keep holding onto Genji's arms instead of clapping. "That's good. You're doing very well."

Genji trudged on forward, working to keep himself upright. And after a few minutes, Angela had to let go of his arms with a smile, for he was outpacing her.

#

 _Present..._

The snow crackled underneath Genji's robotic feet as he dashed at the side of the building. With a small hop he rose, running up it and flipping off backwards, landing back on the ground with a cloud of powdery snow, his arm stretched out.

"Well done, my Genji!" Zenyatta said from the side, clapping his metallic hands. "That was most impressive."

"Thank you," Genji returned with a smiling nod as he stood. "It's near-effortless for me. Well, perhaps not exactly that. More so...instinctual."

"I can understand that," Zenyatta said, nodding himself as he floated closer. "I'm sure you Shimada warriors trained hard and long so that combat was just so. The less you think about your individual moves, the better. The overall strategy is where you mind should be focused."

Genji looked at Zenyatta quizzically, his head cocked. "What do _you_ know of fighting, master?"

The monk chuckled, tapping at his necklace of orbs. They constantly floated around omnic's neck. "My charms? They are not just for looks. Being as in-tuned as I am with existence, I can control the very energy that flows through us all. I wield it as though us as a weapon, but only when others are put in harm's way."

Genji's eyes widened a bit. "My gosh... Do you think we could spar with those?!"

"Hmmm, perhaps tomorrow. For now, let us just speak as planned. I do not want to—how would children put it these days? _Own_ you?"

Genji laughed and nodded. "Alright! I can be patient. Did you have a lesson in mind?"

"I do if you have no questions of your own."

Genji smiled. "I do have one..."

"Name it."

"When you say you and Mondatta were 'brothers,' do you mean you were created together?"

"Ah," Zenyatta said proudly. "A good question." Genji followed him as he floated over to a stone post at the start of the walking path, and sat on top of it with a sigh. "We weren't created at the same time, what with him being 'older' than me, but we were often grouped together. And when we were freed from our programming, we gravitated towards each other, learned together, so we are as much brothers as beings can be, I suppose."

Genji nodded, his hand on his sheathed blade. "I see. I figured something along those lines." He hesitated. "My relationship with my own brother, was...not quite as formative."

"Hm. Have you told me his name before?"

"Hanzo?"

"Ah. You have said such once or twice. You did not...hate each other, did you?"

"No," Genji muttered, eyes on the snow. "But it was...complicated."

#

 _Far In The Past..._

"Where _is_ he?" Hanzo demanded, growing increasingly annoyed. "We were supposed to practice with father _two hours_ ago!"

"I am sorry, my lord," his servant said, "but I have not been able to locate nor contact him."

Hanzo fumed. This was ridiculous. It was the fourth time this week that Genji was late to, or had entirely skipped, their sparring match. Their father was annoyed with the younger Shimada's behavior as well, though not angry. That, in turn, caused Hanzo to be even _more_ angry. Why did _he_ feel more like the parent than their own father? At least Genji was acting like the young spoiled brat he was.

Sounds at the door. Hanzo and the servant looked over as it opened, and who walked in but Genji, laughing and pointing to his friends. He closed the door behind himself with a sigh, looking at the two with a smile. "Greetings, Shuan. Greetings, brother."

Shuan's jaw had dropped, and Hanzo's eyes grown wide. Genji's hair was no longer black. It was now, inexplicably, a hideous shade of bright green.

"You _dyed your hair_?!" Hanzo blurted in shock.

"Why not?" Genji said with a smirk. "It's not like we needed the money for anything. There's plenty to go around. Everyone else said it looks great! Why? Does it not?"

"This isn't about money!" Hanzo scolded as his brother walked past him. " _Or_ your hair! This is about you! Your honor as a member of the Shimada clan!"

"Honor?" Genji asked, turning around. "Who cares about honor? We're the Shimadas! We can do what we please, and I will do just that. _Sure_ I might slack on practice sometimes, but I'm still one of our most skilled warriors. Isn't that enough?"

"You are no warrior!" Hanzo refuted. "You're a disgrace to the Shimada name!"

"At least I'm trying to make my _own_ name!" Genji shot back.

Hanzo pulled back a bit, his expression now more shocked than angry. Genji's arrogance dissipated to. He almost seemed to regret his words.

Before the older brother could say anything else though, the younger turned around, hurrying into his room with a slam of the door.

Hanzo turned away as well, looking at the floor with a frown. He shut his eyes with a tremble of his jaw.

 _One day, Genji, you will have to grow up. I hope it's soon._

* * *

 **Notes:** Aaaaaaa that got pretty angsty at the end there. Just showing a small example of Hanzo and Genji's conflict, the divide between honoring their clan and using it for personal gains. I forgot how good of a dynamic that is between them.

A literal year since I've last touched this? I don't have an explanation that I haven't said before, aside from our absolutely busted internet causing me to fall off with Overwatch as a game, but I don't think that's an excuse. Idk if anyone's still into this fic, I just wanna prove to myself that I can complete it. My original novel is coming along quite nicely if you're curious lol! Still in the plotting/concept stages really, not daring to do a manuscript until I clear out my fic backlog first. And first on my list? This one. That's right. There are three more chapters left, all about the same length as these previous few. I'll be headed to a week-long motivational college thing in a day or two though, just getting away from my life to recharge with friends. I think I'll use it wisely. Come back swinging. My book can wait. This deserves finishing, and I aim to do so.

Hope you enjoyed :)


	5. Pen Mightier Than The Sword

Genji walked deftly to the side, feet crunching in the snow. He was poised, knees bent, his right hand gripping his short-sword, left hand out to keep balance. Zenyatta floated a few meters in front of him as he always did, mechanically shifting his from stance to stance. His orb charms were glowing with blue energy as they rotated around his neck. He finally clasped his hands together, a his orbs emanating a single flash as he found his center. Drawing one hand back towards his hip, he stretched the other outward with an extended index finger and thumb.

"In repetition," the monk advised with poignancy, them still circling each other, "strive for perfection!"

"Yes, master," Genji returned, smiling underneath his visor. He gripped his short-sword tighter.

They stared down for a long moment more, the soft breeze the audience to their fight that was to come. Genji was the first to move.

He dashed forward and to the right, the energy from Zenyatta's orbs impacting the snow where he had been, as many of their matches began. Indeed, they had finally began sparring on a bit of a regular basis, combat being a sort of therapy in itself—at least, that's what Genji tried to say. Zenyatta would shake his head in a tolerantly amused way whenever he said that. Regardless of the validity of Genji's theory, the master finally deemed the cyberized ninja "at peace" enough to be able to partake in a true duel. At first, Genji found it preposterous that he wasn't allowed to spar. He thought the other monks were simply nagging on Zenyatta in over-active fear, but, then he would recall the four wooden dummies he had completely eviscerated in anger. Nowadays though, _rage_? That was barely an issue for him anymore.

Or had it been _five_ dummies?

Genji spun to the side, deflecting a few orbs before diving into a roll. He got a momentum going, that rush of adrenaline only good competition could elicit. Zenyatta's aim was getting sloppy, allowing Genji to act much more freely. He leaned from left to right, occasionally twirling his sword to deflect the an orb or two, and then he spun into a cartwheel. He landed, rolled, and stood with his blade at Zenyatta's neck.

The monk froze, beaten, and Genji smiled beneath his visor. Victory.

"Well done, my student..." Zenyatta flicked his fingers forward.

Typically when the omnic did that, he was canceling the flow of energy to his charms, but what he had actually done this time was fling a snowball from behind Genji right against the back of his helmet. The ninja grunted " _doof_!" as he stumbled to the side.

"But the master still has a few tricks of his own," Zenyatta finished, calmly folding his hands in his lap.

Genji held the back of his head, looking around in confusion. "Wh— Huh? How did you do that?!"

Zenyatta hummed. "Did it seem easy to close the distance between us once you got closer?"

Genji instantly felt a little naked. "Y-Yes, it did."

Zenyatta nodded. "Indeed. You were quite bold, and my focus was getting scattered. So, while I was throwing out orbs, I conjured the snowball behind you, ready to take you down from behind should've you gotten too close too quickly."

Genji creased his brow. "So are you saying my efforts were fruitless?"

"Hardly. Failure is the greatest teacher. I hope that next time, you will not focus only on your attack, but _also_ your surroundings."

Genji smiled he sheathed his sword. "So I see. But you are wrong about one thing, Master..." He placed his fist into his palm and bowed. " _You_ are the greatest teacher."

Zenyatta cocked his head a little in surprise, and then began to chuckle. Then it turned to laughter. Genji laughed along with him.

How odd was it? To think, when he had first arrive to the monastery, he was distraught, felt he had no purpose or place or hope. Now, he was enjoying himself. It seemed Zenyatta had been right: a gentle hand could truly go a long way.

#

The two sparred for some time more, but eventually found themselves in need of a break. They took refuge in a building near the main sanctum, in the common area near the kitchen. Genji waited with his visor off and his weapons resting on one of the tables. He sat sideways with his arm resting on said table and his other hand on his leg. That leg was bouncing quickly, anxiously.

Within a handful of minutes, Genji looked up to see Zenyatta floating out of the kitchen to him, holding a steaming warm cup of tea.

"Thank you, master," Genji said with a smile, taking the drink from the omnic. "It still doesn't feel right for you to be serving your student."

"That is precisely what a master _should_ do," Zenyatta replied with a huff, taking the seat next to Genji. "One who expects to be lavished for nothing deserves nothing of the kind."

Genji smiled at his master's rant, but that smile quickly faded. He took a sip of the tea—basic, in a homey, fulfilling way—and lowered his mug with a sigh. "Master...I have a problem."

"I hesitate to joke 'haven't you always?' "

"I've been...thinking of Angela."

Zenyatta paused and looked at Genji in earnest. "Oh. What of her?"

"I... I'm worried about her. I feel like I need to know how she's doing." He hesitated. "I think I wish to write to her."

If Zenyatta was physically capable of smiling, he would have been as he nodded. "You can certainly do so. In honesty, I'm surprised you haven't expressed a desire to do so sooner."

"I've had many other things to think about," Genji returned with a smirk. "Now that I am...more at peace than I was before, my mind seems to be wandering to other issues."

"The mind can do that. Sometimes it just takes time to process what you really want."

"Are you and the other monks like that, Master? Being omnic and all?"

Zenyatta chuckled, putting his arms on the table. "Consciousness is a funny thing. We all desire the freedom to think for ourselves, but thinking is not always desirable. No one can know everything, and sometimes we are not comfortable with the knowledge we have. Some of our brothers joke about yearning to be 'turned off' to rid us of such exhausting fears."

Genji gasped. "Master, that's horrible. Is that not...suicide for an omnic?"

"Well perhaps joking isn't quite the right word," Zenyatta corrected with a tap of his chin. "Or perhaps it is? Jokes are often rooted in some kind of truth. More importantly, we omnics can be repaired and turned back on!"

He and Genji laughed together.

"But indeed, no one should have such uncertainty plague them. If you desire to reach out to Angela, you should not be impeded. Come, let us get you some paper and a quill..."

#

With writing supplies acquired, Genji and Zenyatta went to the village square. As the monk floated and practiced his forms, Genji sat in the door frame of one of the storage rooms, writing his letter with a quill on parchment. Or rather, he would've liked to have been.

"Does something trouble you, my student?" Zenyatta asked, taking notice of the ninja's lack of writing.

Genji growled. "I can't think of what to say. It doesn't make sense. I want to talk to her but I don't know what to tell her!"

"Well you'd better think of something worth conversation soon," Zenyatta jokingly teased. "These snowballs are going to find their mark, whether you're ready or not."

"It's just," Genji said, trying to find the right words as he tapped his fist against his paper, "what can we possibly talk about after all this time?"

Zenyatta hummed in thought, eyeing a snowball as he made it levitate above his hand. After a moment, he asked, "Does she know you are alive and well?"

Genji's eyes widened. "That is a very crucial detail."

"Crucial indeed. Perhaps you should open with that."

Genji nodded to himself for a moment, sitting in silence a moment more, and finally began writing, whispering his thoughts to himself as he did so.

" 'Dear Angela, I am alive and well... I am sorry I have not contacted you in so long, but I have been...busy. I often worry about you, how you are doing... I wish to know how you are, what _you_ are doing. Are you with any of the others? Are they well? If you are in contact with them, please tell them that...that I am closer to peace than I have ever been before. I have made a friend named Zenyatta who has been helping me learn about myself and what to do with myself. He is an omnic, yet he is full of knowledge like few I've met before. I think you would greatly enjoy him. I have been trying to take things slow for myself, but coming to terms with what I am has been a fairly troubling process. I feel as though you'll be wondering, so I suppose I should answer: am I at peace with being...' "

 _...a cyborg?_

Genji found himself stopping with wide eyes before he could write those last two words. He looked at his left hand, holding it up, turning it over, moving his fingers. They faintly whirred and clicked as he did so. He looked back at his letter, wrote "a cyborg," and continued.

" '...I honestly cannot say if I am just yet, or if I ever will be. But...I do think that I can at least finally see some benefits from it. For one, it's cold where we are, and having a temperature-regulation system is a bit of a blessing.' "

Genji chuckled to himself. Indeed, if he could laugh at a thing such as that, then he must have made great progress on feeling one with his augmentations.

"Are you doing well, Genji?"

"Yes, Master! Almost done!"

"Wonderful," Zenyatta replied, a dulcet pride in his tone, pride in Genji for taking another small step towards his eventual peace.

The ninja wrote a little bit longer, and once he was finished with the letter he contently set it down next to him where he sat. He then snatched up his sword and leapt to his feet, running into the courtyard towards Zenyatta to begin another sparring match, dodging and deflecting lightning-fast snowballs.

#

 _A few days later..._

It was late afternoon. The sun was blazing down, but the barren land around them was cold. That's why she wore a coat over her uniform just to assure that her core kept warm. She wasn't wearing the halo piece however; _that_ remained in one of her two suitcases, one for personal effects, one for medical equipment.

"Doctor Ziegler?" one of the nurses asked from the tent-door.

Angela looked up from her documents and turned around to the nurse. She smiled. "Yes, ma'am."

The middle-aged nurse walked forward with a smile as well, holding out a sealed paper. "We received a letter, specifically addressed for you."

"Oh," Angela said in mild surprise, taking it from her gratefully. "Thank you. I was not expecting such a thing."

The nurse nodded. "Of course. I also wanted to say thank you, Doctor Ziegler, for being here for us. I don't know what we would be doing without you."

Angela nodded with another smile. "I'm doing everything I can. I'm glad I've been able to help you all."

The nurse nodded one last time, and started attending to the bed sheets in the tent. As she did so, Angela turned back to her desk, curious as to who possibly wrote to her. Perhaps the governor of the region offering thanks for her services? Angela opened the letter and pulled out the paper, but something fell out of it.

It floated to the floor, and Angela furrowed her brow in confusion. She bent down to pick it up, and as she stood again she realized that she was holding a feather.

A sparrow's feather.

Angela gasped, holding her hand over her mouth for a moment. Her eyes zipped to the bottom of the paper to confirm who had written it. _Oh_ , yes, she knew this handwriting. She knew the name of the man who had written it all. It was a man she'd often worried about during her travels. She couldn't stop the glad tears. She was finally hearing about him, _from_ him. For months now, she had been wrestling with the idea to stuff down her emotions to stop wasting energy holding out hope, but now that hope had finally returned the favor.

"Genji... _you're_ _okay_..."

* * *

 **Notes:** Ah, this came together pretty nicely. I have a fair bit to say so here we go! TLDR: TWO MORE CHAPTERS TO GO!

Despite me writing this chapter, I'm still not sure if I'm 100% sold that Genji and Mercy were writing letters to each other in Reflections, the Christmas comic. Their positioning on the pages possibly seems a little deliberate and the fact they use the same(?) feather could be fairly big clue, but idk. Even so, I wrote this with that interpretation in mind. Heck, it might've even been confirmed that they were and it just slipped under my nose. Idk! I'll just shut up so you can enjoy the chapter lol.

Also this could've come out a bit sooner, but I didn't want to post a Christmas chapter on Halloween, haha. So I waited for a while, closer to the holiday hype. We also have HORRENDOUS internet where I live. But regardless of that, the next chapter should be a very heart-warming one, and is also related to both Christmas AND Halloween! You'll see how once it's out.

And if you've read this far into the fic, I hope none of my author's notes have been too big of a bummer lol. I feel the need to apologize for taking so much time to finish these for anyone that's into them. Once I complete this fic I might be erasing the apologies, maybe not. Just an fyi :)


	6. I'm Not In Love

_Years Ago..._

Strings of lights and steaming hot cocoa. Classic tunes and sleigh bells on the radio. Sugar cookies and the smell of pine. Indeed, even the Overwatch headquaters celebrated Christmas.

"I can't believe all our schedules actually lined up this year," Ana said, gratefully sitting at the table with Jack. Jesse and Gabriel were on the other side, the former propping his feet up on said-table. "I was losing hope with how busy we all were."

"Luckily," Angela said from the couch, wearing a red sweater and a cup of cocoa in her hands, "I was able to get all my necessary work done. I could've stayed up all night, but that would've left me exhausted this evening."

"I'm glad you didn't," Genji said, casually on the couch with her wearing a green sweater of his own. "No one should be overworking themselves, especially on the holidays."

"Sure shootin'," Jesse said, wearing a Santa hat as opposed to his usual one. "Not often does Blackwatch staff get called into emergency action. We usually got our hands full with our own stuff."

The metal doors leading into the common area clicked and slid open. In came Lena and Winston, the latter carrying a tray with cups and a carton on it. "We found the egg nog, everyone! I almost thought it was expired, but turns out that was just Lena's milk. Also, I think we need to get more milk."

 _Blink!_

"Oi, Ange'!" Lena said from behind the couch, wearing a headband with reindeer antlers on it. "Genji!"

The two of them looked at each other and behind theirselves, thinking Lena simply needed something. That wasn't really the case however, as behind them they found the little Brit dangling a leafy ornament over them, one with red berries.

"Mistletoooe!"

Angela gasped.

"Lena!" Genji scolded

Gabriel threw his head back in laughter and slapped his knee, the others all chuckling as well.

Angela scoffed with an embarrassed smile, holding the side of her face. "L-Lena, please. I don't think this is necessary."

"Awww come on, loves," Lena insisted with a frown, still holding the ornament over the two of them. "It's tradition!"

"Yes, and sometimes traditions can be broken," Angela dismissed, playfully pushing Lena away.

Genji wished he'd had his face-guard on.

"First the milk now this?" Lena pouted as Winston trodded past her. "Worst Christmas ev'a. I've nev'a gotten Mistletoe to work before..."

"Why don't you try it with Torbjorn instead?" Jack suggested. He winked at Angela and Genji, her nodding at him thankfully as Winston dished out the egg nog.

"Hrrngh," grunted Torbjorn, not even looking at the others. He was currently building a gingerbread house with Reinhardt, the two of them diligently hunched over an armchair-side table.

"Don't make Ingrid angry," Ana joked. "We have no idea what her bad side is like."

"Ingrid is a steadfast but kind-hearted woman," Angela said. "She's plenty playful."

"You know, Lena," Gabriel said with a smirk as he leaned back in his chair, "if you really want to get someone with that mistletoe, you just need to stick by Torb."

"Why's that?" Lena asked quizically.

"Gonna be kissin' him all night just walkin' back and forth," Jesse joined in, his voice already muffled in his cup of nog.

"Oh!" Torbjorn sarcastically exclaimed. "A short joke! Because it'd pass over my head, wouldn't it! Why I haven't heard one of those in ten whole minutes!"

"Six," Reinhardt said, placing a gumdrop on the frosted roof.

"Wow! Even worse than I thought!"

"No, that is how many jokes we've made thus far. We're trying to beat our record this Christmas."

"Last year was eleven," Jack said. "We need to step it up."

"You are short," Reinhardt stated.

"At least put some effort into it so I can at least _try_ to lose respect for you!"

They all laughed again. Lena's boisterous guffaw in particular could be well-heard as she held her stomach. "Oh you guys," she said, putting a hand on Torbjorn's shoulder as they all, even the little engineer himself, continued chuckling and chatting. Irritable as he often was, he was still a good sport about teasing.

With the embarrassing moment passed, Angela sighed, looking to Genji with a small smile. "I'm sorry, Genji."

The ninja's eyes still were downward, cheeks still a little red. He sighed through his nose. "No, it...it's fine. She was just trying to have fun, I understand."

"I'm sorry as well, you two," Winston said as he stopped next to the couch. "I had no idea Lena found that. I would've stopped her if I had known."

"Thank you, Winston," Angela said with a smile. "It wasn't horrible, just awkward."

"Yes, thanks, Winston," Genji said as well. He smirked. "I'll tease her about it during practice tomorrow."

Winston chuckled while holding his stomach. "Not too hard, Genji. You remember how embarrassed she got when we tried joking about her and Emily."

Genji laughed, Angela smiling at him before sipping her cocoa. "Yes, I do. She's a little spitfire until it's her turn get poked at."

"Indeed. At least she's honest about it." Winston turned to leave. "Keep enjoying yourselves, you two. I'll be back in a minute."

As the ape scientist walked back out into the halls to grab more things, Angela looked to the side for a moment, brushing her hair behind her ear. "You know, if everyone hadn't made such a show about the kiss, I...I might've actually done it."

Genji's eyes widened. He looked up at her, not even thinking about his blush anymore. "You... You _would_."

Angela glanced over at the others. "Actually, everyone's busy. If you really wouldn't mind, would you like me to...?"

Genji felt something flutter inside of his chest. He almost thought it was a malfunction in his cybernetics, but no, there would have been an alarm if that was the case. "N-No, no. You can."

Angela peeked over at the others one last time to make sure they were all occupied. With the coast clear, she gently leaned into Genji and pressed her lips against his cheek...

It was like a feather. Her lips were there no longer than they needed to be, yet it was still so soft, so tender. For Angela to offer such a gentle gesture to him like that, on his _scarred_ cheek no less... It was indescribable. He sighed softly, hoping it didn't come across as awkward as his cheeks retained a soft pink. "Thank you."

Angela laid her right hand on his left reassuringly, smiling that gentle smile of hers. It almost seemed second-nature the way she'd do that, perhaps because for her, it was. "You're very welcome, Genji."

#

Zenyatta was chuckling.

"Master!" Genji scolded in the present day. This was not the reaction he expected out of the omnic after telling such a sensitive story.

"Apologies, apologies. I apologize," the omnic monk said through his quiet laughter. He sighed gently. "It's nothing to be embarrassed about."

Genji grumbled, looking down the mountain-slope that led up to the edge of the plaza, where they were sitting. "Well I still am."

"And now is when we examine why."

Genji closed his eyes, inhaling and exhaling, remembering to center himself. He opened his eyes. "Right."

"We are embarrassed by that which we hold close to us," Zenyatta explained. "To see such be criticized, or even outright hated, it makes us feel we must defend ourselves somehow. Angela in this case is what you hold close to you—the question is how. Maybe you _do_ 'love' Angela. Maybe you don't. Maybe that is why you accepted each other so easily. Maybe it is simply excess emotion others assume you have. Maybe you will come to that conclusion on your own in time. Maybe you've both yet to decifer what it is exactly you _want_ from each other."

Genji sighed again. "I don't _want_ anything from her. I just...appreciate her."

"You care about her as much as she cared about you?"

"I...suppose? Most of her initial care was because she is a doctor. It wasn't until after I was working with Jesse and Gabriel that we started gravitating towards each other again on our own. We were always friendly but...whatever we had...took some time to show itself after my procedures. Perhaps we made a connection during the procedures, and wanted to get to know each other more after."

Zenyatta chuckled softly. "Well if you _do_ 'love' each other, that is the best way you could've admitted such to each other. Adrenaline makes us..." His mechanics whirred. "Well, makes _humans_ think things they wouldn't normally. Stress in general! The fact that you chose to actively care for each other after you were no longer in her care only speaks volumes towards how genuine your relationship—romantic or otherwise—truly is."

"Mm. That is a good way of thinking about it."

Zenyatta held his chin for a moment, humming as he contemplated. "I suppose we should get this out of the way just to be certain: would you 'engage' with her?"

"By engage you mean...?"

"A ring is recommended, but not always required."

Genji blushed so hard in the cold mountain air that he felt like he'd just walked into a fire. "I think there's a few too many complications for such activities."

"Oh," Zenyatta said with a tone of concern. "Your cyberization was that extensive?"

Genji shut his eyes and shook his head. "Everything's normal, everything's normal. Everything's fine, I'm fine. I just... There's... I wouldn't m... _Kuso_ , that's not why I like her."

"Ah," Zenyatta said. "I am sorry. If it makes you feel any less awkward, the concept of...mating is a little foreign to us omnics. Since we have no framework for reference, some of us have no opinion on the subject whilst others are disgusted and even horrified."

"Where do you fall in that regard?"

"I'm admittedly somewhere inbetween. I see it as necessary for humanity's continued existence, yet...it is sometimes rather obscene."

Genji chuckled. "If it comforts you at all, Master, while I did catch the eyes of many women back home, I tried not to ' _engage_ ' with too many of them."

"Hm, I see. But how hard did you actually _try_?"

"Hey, don't blame me for being charitable. When a girl requests a kiss, it would be rude to withhold one!"

The two of them laughed heartily. Across the plaza on the sanctum steps, two other omnic monks sat, half-attempting to meditate. One sighed and shook his head. "It baffles me that Shimada is recovering as well as he is. I swear Tekartha chats with him more than they do introspection."

"They insist they do both. Convenient how one of those things is far louder than the other..."

"Yes, convenient..."

Zenyatta sighed. "Ohhh my. Let's move on from the girlfriends and talk about friend-friends. Who was all at that part again you were close with? Winston, Lena, and Jesse?"

"Indeed," Genji affirmed. "I do think they were my greatest friends there. I got along with everyone—we were all polite and enjoyed each other—but given Blackwatch with Jesse, and Winston and Lena just...being so accepting of someone who also felt like an outsider... Indeed, I was closest with those three."

Zenyatta nodded and hummed. "I see, I see." He glanced down in thought for a moment. "But it was always Angela that you felt you had the most in common with..."

"It was always Angela," Genji confirmed in a soft voice, staring down in thought as well.

The two of them sat in silence for a moment, a long moment, a moment that become a few minutes. It happened to them sometimes, when they would drift back into thought after having reached some sort of conclusion.

Genji wasn't sure what exactly Zenyatta was pondering, but the ninja's mind brought him to another holiday memory with the Overwatch crew, Blackwatch specifically. It was a little after the others started getting more used to him...

#

 _Many Years Ago..._

Genji walked from the locker room to the main command center. The cafeteria was serving lunch for the soldiers, but he wasn't hungry. He just wished he could've taken off his cybernetics and locked them up with his weapons.

Inside the command center was Gabriel, Jesse, and the new scientist from Ireland, Moira. She was just packing up some things on the table. Jesse and Gabriel however were looking at a stack of photos. They looked up as Genji walked in.

"Hey, Genj'!" Jesse said. "We got the photos Ana took from that Halloween party we were talkin' about! Jack's dressed like a friggin' daredevil! And Ange' had herself a wicked witch costume."

" 'Wicked Witch' or _wicked witch_?" Gabe asked him.

"Wicked," Jesse answered unspecifically. "We allowed to show that much thigh on corporate property?"

"How thick-headed are you, McCree?" Genji snapped.

"Hey, I ain't tryna start no fights here! Just thought you might be interested."

"She's a great friend and an accomplished doctor," Genji said. "The fact that she's attractive affects nothing."

"Oh so you agree!"

"I don't have to explain myself to you!"

Gabriel chuckled and stepped forward with his hands up. "Easy, you two. Cool it now. I doubt Angela would like to hear that we started a fight over her damn Halloween costume."

Moira rolled her eyes with a snarled frown.

Genji looked away and sighed. "I suppose you are right..."

Jesse sighed as well. "I guess so too... Sorry I prodded you the wrong way, Ninja. I'll just leave 'em here if you're interested. I'm gonna hit the buffet." He dropped the photographs on the table and walked out to the cafeteria.

Genji watched the reformed gang member leave the room. Sometimes he wondered if he had a little more reforming to do just yet. He sighed again and shook his head, eyes on the floor. He looked back up at Moira as she finished the last of her packing. "You would not happen to have any opinions on this, would you, Doctor O'Deorain?"

Moira reached up and pulled her beret off, sighing with a shake of her orange hair, slightly matted and messy as she put the hat in her bag and zipped it up. "Indeed you are right, Genji: Angela is a very accomplished doctor. It would be within McCree's best interests to treat someone like that with respect." She took a step to walk out, but stopped. "And on the topic of Ziegler's looks, I can admit that yes, she _is_ 'pretty.' "

"That's not jealousy I hear, is it, Moira?" Gabriel said, smirking without looking at the scientist.

"Please, Gabriel. That whole 'angel' look of hers is so gauche it's nearly gag-inducing." She shuddered. "Dreadful. The only thing of hers I could be jealous of is that I'm not able to pull off a ponytail."

"Hah" Gabriel said, still smirking. "Knew it. Take it easy, Doctor."

"Yes, you as well." Moira walked out of the room without another word.

Gabriel chuckled to himself. He looked to Genji and walked up to him, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, Genji. I don't wanna sound offensive or anything here—I don't know how they treat this stuff in Japan—but friends can call each other hot and not have it be weird between them. I mean, have you heard Ana with Reinhardt and Jack? You could swear they're married."

"Reinhardt and Jack are married?" Genji joked with a smirk.

Gabe laughed with his head thrown back. "Oh that quick-wit of yours. Makes me wonder how McCree manages to get under your skin."

"I don't have grudge against him, Captain. He just got on my nerves today for some reason."

Gabriel nodded. "Well I promise he means no harm to anyone. Jesse's an idiot and a loud-mouth, but he's not gonna make any moves on Angela or anything like that. They're friends too. Moira's right: she's _just_ pretty."

Genji nodded with a small smile. "Right."

Gabe patted him on the back and walked out to join Jesse for lunch. "Take it easy, soldier."

"Understood, Captain."

Gabe smiled and left the room, his boots sounding down the hallway.

With those three gone, Genji sighed, looking towards the table where Jesse left the photos. He told himself he wasn't interested, but...

Genji glanced at the door, then back at the table. He walked up and started perusing the photos. Everyone looked like they were having a swell time. And indeed, Commander Morrison was wearing some sort of patriotic motorcyclist outfit. How humorous. Genji found one photo in particular with Angela and Torbjorn together. He hated to admit it, but Jesse had a point. He was surprised to see Angela wearing a costume that revealing. And the way she held her witch's hat, her poise and energy, the fact that she was letting Torbjorn hug her around her waist... Despite Moira's resentment towards the more well-known doctor, she'd ironically been very accurate in describing her.

 _Kuso. She_ is _adorable, isn't she?_

* * *

 **Notes:** I am veering _dangerously_ close to that sweet, sweet Gency aren't I? It also felt appropriate to poke some fun at the Ana ships. I was fairly delighted when I realized I could include Moira throwing shade at goody-two-shoes Doctor Mercy during the Blackwatch talk. Love that woman. Unfortunately I don't have any fic ideas for her ;_; Her dialogue's always just delicious.

I hope you're enjoying the Christmas vibes! I apologize if this chapter seemed unwarrantedly more sexual than the others. I promise this is a one-time thing for this fic; I aim to keep this SFW. How Genji feels about Mercy is just something I felt I should explore and address a tad, because as I see it, not even Genji and Angela are entirely sure how they feel about each other. The idea of them being canonly romantic has been teased before, and I feel it's a valid if not heart-warming road for them to take with the proper restraint. (Many raise the concern that a doctor and a patient would be a unhealthy/inappropriate romantic relationship, but as I conveyed here I think Genji and Angela are mature enough to wait until he's out of her care.)

Besides, how could things get any steamier when there's only _**One! Last! Chapter!**_ It'll be a bit of a time-jump, but I hope to make it as good a conclusion as I can! And last tidbit: yes, it has indeed been confirmed before that Genji is "intact" in the downstairs region. Even I thought he was missing all that stuff! Why else would he lament that ramen isn't the same as it used to be? Lol.

Hope you enjoyed. Happy Holidays, everyone :)


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